This invention relates to a connector adapted to be mounted to an electronic or electric apparatus, such as a mobile telephone or a mobile terminal.
Recently, a small-sized external memory device such as a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card, a MMC (MultiMedia Card), a SD (Secure Digital) card, and a memory stick is known and increasingly used. The external memory device of the type may be used with an electronic or electric apparatus, such as a mobile telephone and a mobile terminal, as a module for identification of a subscriber. Upon use, the external memory device is connected to the apparatus through a connector which is mounted to the electronic or electric apparatus together with various parts, such as electronic parts.
The connector of the type is disclosed, for example, in JP 2000-260537 A (corresp. to U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,810 B1) and JP 2000-36349A (corresp. to U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,394 B1). However, the connector disclosed in each of these publications is relatively large as compared with the electronic parts mounted to the electronic or electric apparatus and therefore inhibits the reduction in thickness of the electronic or electric apparatus.